As a follow-up to my last post, When Help Content Is Forgotten, my colleague pointed out that having a set of agreed-upon best practices for technical writers is one of the first steps in establishing traction with project managers. Otherwise, project managers can resist or dismiss a technical writer’s recommendations as subjective opinion. In an effort to be concise, here’s my stab at the ten … more »

This is a guest post by Cathy Wildhaber about her experience implementing a wiki in her department. Cathy is a technical writer in Kansas City. For the past 4 years, she has worked for a company that provides computer systems and services to financial organizations. Ever take a look at some slick wiki technology and think “Wow, that’s really cool…I want one”? I did, and … more »

After my last post in which I criticized WordPress for not hiring a technical writer to make their documentation simpler and more accessible, two things dawned on me. First, I’m an idiot for not recognizing an opportunity when it presents itself. I should write a comprehensive help file on WordPress and sell it. I’ll work on that. Second, the interplay between simplicity and complexity is … more »